Fruit-picker.



R. P. ANDERSEN.

FRUIT PIUKBR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1908.

929,647; Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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RASMUS PETER ANDERSEN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Application filed February 5,1908. Serial No. 415,251.

This invention relates to fruit pickers, and

it has for its object to provide an improved device or implement forpicking and gathering fruit which may be utilized with an high degree ofconvenience and effectiveness, which will be relatively simple andinexpensive in construction, adaptable to a wide range of uses, andprotective of the fruit picked and gatheredyand which shall be generallysuperior in efficiency.

In devising an implement of the character described, the primerequisites are, manifestly the provision of a device which may beconveniently manipulated by the user from a station upon the ground,thus obviating the use of ladders or other supports; which will reachand gather the fruit at different altitudes; and which will safelyconvey the fruit when severed to the selected receptacle or point ofdeposit.

These objects I obtain in my improved fruit picker, which comprises theconstruction, provision, combination, association and relativearrangement of parts, members and features hereinafter described, shownin the drawing, and finally pointed out in claims.

In the drawingz liigure 1 is a longitudinal side view, partly in sectionand partly broken away for clearness of illustration, of a fruit pickerand gatherer embodying the invention, the sectional portion of the samebeing taken upon the line 11, Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal frontview of the same, in full lines and partly broken away and, Fig. 3 is Ia top plan view of the same partly broken away.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, the improved fruit pickerand gatherer comprises a fruit receiver A, a fruit detacher B, a fruitconveyer (Land a handle member D whereby the entirety is supported andmanipulated. The fruit receiver A en.

velops the fruit during the detaching operation, and guides it into thefruit conveyor by which it is directed to the selected receptacle,

such as a cart or boX, or to the desired point of deposit. The fruitconveyor C comprises an outer member 0 and an inner memher at, thefunction of the former being to reinforce and protect the latter,preventing its stoppage or injury by the limbs, branches or other partsof the tree, vine or bush from which the fruit is being removed.

A preferred and particular form of a device or implement embodying theinvention is as follows The fruit receiver A comprises a body portion orcollar 4 with which the handle member D is connected, and from whichrise a plurality of rods 5, which are grouped in a generally sphericalformation and connected together at their upper ends by terminal cap 6.Two of the rods, namely 5 and 5 are preferably bowed apart to form amouth or opening through which the fruit may enter or be received in thefruit receiver A; such mouth or opening being arranged preferably atthat side of the fruit receiver with which the handle member D isconnected. The rods 5 are preferably formed of lengths of substantiallyrigid metallic wire, which lengths are connected with the collar 4, ex Iteriorly of the same, at the respective lower ends of such lengths, asat 7; and are similarly connected, as at 8, with thecap 6, exterioriy ofthe same, at their other ends; said cap 6 being of a concave formation,so that its curvature may conform to that of the major portion of thefruit receiver A.

The fruit detacher B is arranged at the upper portion of the fruitreceiver A, and preferably at the forward portion of the cap 6, and atthe upper portion of the mouth or opening of the fruit receiver embracedbetween rods 5 and 5 The forward portion of the cap 6 is preferablyjoined with the rods 5 and 5 by lapping the same, that is the forwardedge of the cap 6, which preferably consist of a metallic plate, aroundthe upper portions of the rods 5 and 5 as at 9. Said rods 5 and 5 arejoined together in a \l-shaped union 10, beyond the lapped formation ofthe plate or cap 6 at 9, said cap or plate 6 having a V-shapedformation, as at 11, beneath the V-shaped union 10. The rods 5 and 5 areprovided with cutting edges 12 at the V-shaped union 10, extendingbetween the lapped portions 9 of the cap or plate 6; and sa1d cuttingedges constitute the of the mouth or opening of the fruit receiver A. V

The handle member!) comprises a socket 13 fixed to a plate 14,connected, as at 15, with the forward portion of the collar 4,exteriorly oi the same, and beneath the mouth or opening of the fruitreceiver A; and a plurality of handle sections 16, one of which fits atone end into the socket 13; said handle section being capable of serialdetachable connection by means of one or more ferrule sockets17.

The fruit conveyer O is flexiblethroughout its entirety, in both itsouter member a and its inner member (1, the former of which is shorterthan the latter, or may comprise a plurality of sections whereby theouter mem- 1 or may be extended to the degree necessary to protect theinner member or prevent its stoppage, all as governed by the conditionsmet with in practice, such as the thickness or multiplicity of the limbsor other members of the growth carrying the fruit to be picked. One ofthe sections of the outer member 0 is shown in the drawing, theis'amebeing provided at its lower end portion with clamping means E wherebyanother and similar section may be joined to the section shown; thelatter section and the inner member (Z being connected with the bodyportion or collar 4 by clamping means F. The outer member 0 comprises aflexible tube 18 preferably of textile material and provided with aninterior coil 19 of elastic or resilient material, pref erably ofmetallic wire, which extends throughout the length of thesame, beingconveniently stitched thereto, asat 20. I find in practice that a coil19 of copper wire is particularly serviceable for this purpose.

The inner member (2 consists of a flexible tube 21, preferably oftextile materiahwhich extends throughout the length of the. flexibletube 18, within the same, and projects beyond the outer or lower end ofthe flexible tube 18 to an extent determined by the con- -veyingservicewhich the conveyer O is re- 'quired to perform.

The clamping means F comprises a flexible band 22, preferably metallic,which is passed about the lower end portion of the collar 4 and theupper end portions of the outer 7 member 0 and inner member (1 of thefruit conveyer C, which latter members, or such portions of the same,are interposed between the collar 4 and the flexible band 22. The endportions of the flexible band'221are held together in overlappingrelation by a catch or head 23 formed upon one of the same and engagedwithin a slotted portion 24 of the other of the same whereby theclamping means 1F hold .the fruit conveyer O firmly in connection withthe collar 4, permitting,

however, convenient connection and disconnection of the former with andfrom the latter. 'The clamping means E comprise similarly a flexibleband 22 with a catch or head 23 and slotted portion 24.,in duplicationof the structure of the clamping means F; and said clamping means E aresecured upon and surround the lower end portion of the uppermost sectionof the outer member c of the fruit conveyer C; and the upper end portionof another of such sections may be passed about the lower end portion ofthe first-named section (that shown), within the clamping means E, whichmay then be caused to firmly bindthe two sections to.'

gether;

' The operation, method of use and advahtages of the improved fruitpicker and gatherer constituting the invention will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing,,taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing and the following statement: 7

With the parts connected together as shown in the drawing, and the fruitconto be picked to the selected receptacle or desired pointof deposit,the device is projected toward the fruit so as. to cause the fruitreceiver A to receive the fruit through the mouth or opening in theforward portion 've'yer C of a proper length to direct the fruit V ofthe same and among the rods 5,, the stem wardly through the collar 4 andinto the inner member d of the fruit conveyer 'C,'which it traverses toits receptacle or point of de posit, such as a box, cart or fruit pile.V

By the use of my improved fruit picker or-gatherer, a wide range offruits, such as apples pears, peaches and oranges, may be convenientlycut from the tree or other growth, through a wide range ofaltitudes fromthe ground, and'safely conveyed to a receptacle or point of deposit, andwithout the use of ladders or other supports for the operator/ I do notdesire to be understood as liniiting myself to the specificconstruction, provision, combination, association and relativearrangement of parts, members and features shown anddescribed; butreserve the right to vary the same, in adapting the improvements tovarying conditions, of use,

without departing from the s irit of the invention or the terms ofthe'fo owing claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:- V- V 1. In a device of the character described,

a fruit receiver,1coinprisinga body portion,

a plurality of rods connected therewith and grouped together to form afruit receiving for the fruit; and a fruit detacher comprising portion,certain of :said rods being spaced a cutting-edge formed upon one ofsaid last apart to form a mouth or opening for the named rods. fruit;and a fruit detacher comprising cut- In testimony whereof, I havesignedmy 5 ting edges formed u onsaid last named rods. name to thisspecification in the presence of 15 2. In a device of Sue characterdescribed, a tWo subscribing Witnesses.

fruit receiver, comprising a plurality of con- RASMUS PETER ANDERSEN.nected rods grouped together to form a fruit Witnesses: receivingportion, certain of said rods being F. A, MANSFIELD,

10 spaced apart to form a mouth or opening W. G. OOGSWELL.

